SSN : 4 week to verify documents?

[SF2007 48]

Hey guys,

I went to my local Social Security office yesterday (I POE'd On June 15). The clerk seemed competent, he knew a K-1 holder was allowed to a SSN and didn't make a fuss about it, but I was told my name entered in the system (as in my passport) is different than the one on my birth certificate (I never used my middle name).

Because of this, it will require a 4 weeks wait period during which they will verify my documents. The clerk made copies of my passport and birth certificate and gave me a letter proving I applied for a SSN that day but because they needed to verify the documents I provided, I should hear from them within the next4 weeks.

Is this standard procedure? I've been doing a lot of research before applying and I never saw that coming up anywhere. Will I need to use my middle name on my US IDs : SSN, driver's license, etc.?

Thanks!

[nickbits 43]

They told that to my wife that when she first applied but she got the card the next week. When she went back to get it in her married name she was told the same thing and that did take about a month to get changed. When she went in the last time (to get an unrestricted card), she was told the same thing again but it only took a week.

In conclusion, YMMV.

[Barbara J 115]

Hey guys,

I went to my local Social Security office yesterday (I POE'd On June 15). The clerk seemed competent, he knew a K-1 holder was allowed to a SSN and didn't make a fuss about it, but I was told my name entered in the system (as in my passport) is different than the one on my birth certificate (I never used my middle name).

Because of this, it will require a 4 weeks wait period during which they will verify my documents. The clerk made copies of my passport and birth certificate and gave me a letter proving I applied for a SSN that day but because they needed to verify the documents I provided, I should hear from them within the next4 weeks.

Is this standard procedure? I've been doing a lot of research before applying and I never saw that coming up anywhere. Will I need to use my middle name on my US IDs : SSN, driver's license, etc.?

Thanks!

Same with me this time when I had the work auth restriction taken off my card he said he could not verify my name weird but all the info was correct and I got SS card in 2 weeks.

[I'm Gone 60]

They need to be looking at the name on your I-94, and that is the name that immigration uses to verify your status.

A foreign-born person’s legal name is the name shown on his or her immigration document, for example, Form I-94.

When the name shown on the immigration document differs from the name shown on other evidence submitted for an SSN, we process the application in the name on the immigration document as long as the name can be derived from the other evidence, for example, a foreign passport.

If the required documents show clearly different names, we cannot accept the evidence to process the application. In these situations, the applicant must submit evidence showing the same name, or submit evidence of a name change that occurred after the immigration document was issued.

RM 10212.001 Defining the Legal Name for an SSN:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

The number holder’s first and last name on his or her SSN card must agree with the first and last name shown on the document submitted as evidence of identity or legal name. A middle name or suffix is not considered part of the legal name. It does not matter if the middle name or suffix is included, omitted, or incorrectly shown on an SSN card.

RM 10205.120 How the Number Holder’s Name is Shown on SSN Card:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110205120

[SF2007 48]

I Quit : Then I find it odd because my name on my I-94 is the exact same as my passport's. Anyways I'll just roll with it

Thank you for the quick answers!

Edit : Typo.

Edited June 29, 2011 by SF2007

[JeannieL 44]

I POE'd on May 20th and went to the SSN office on May 31st ...They told me that DHS had not released my info at that time. She gave me a letter stating that it could take up to 4 weeks, blah blah blah.....So I went back today to the same office and a man looked up the number that was on my letter and DHS has still not released the info so still no SSN ! I really want to get one so I can get my drivers license switched over. He said that DHS is slow at releasing the info.

[I'm Gone 60]

He said that DHS is slow at releasing the info.

Sound like BS to me. The verification process is three steps. The initial is done while you are at the office. Then a secondary electronic verification is submitted. That takes at the most a week to come back. If it verifies they clear the application If the response is that immigration wants to see your immigration document (in your case the I-94), the front and back of the photocopied document are mailed with Form G-845. It used to be that the SSA office had to wait for the G-845 to be mailed back, but now there is a third level electronic response. The mailing time and time for the response is a couple weeks. So I would try to find out where you are in the verification process, and if things failed at one level, have they moved on to the next.

[SF2007 48]

SSN saga continues for me...

I went back to my local SSN office today. 4 weeks after I applied for my card, they're still handling what they call a name mismatch. Does it really take that long? When I was first in 4 weeks ago, I was told they process it up to 4 weeks. Now that the 4 weeks are gone, I was told (by a different clerk) it can take up to 3 months. They won't disclose which part of my name is allegedly mismatched.

My name does have an accented "e" which does not show on my US paperwork, and a USCIS NOA does contain a middle name that shows on my birth certificate which I do not use or have on neither my I-94 and my Canadian passport.

So I am wondering : is there anything I can do but call and show up often to get an update? I can't really fix this with a name change until they actually assign me a SS number, correct?

[JeannieL 44]

We got married on Saturday. Went to the SS office on Monday to check on status of SSN. It has been 8 weeks! I found out that we are in the 3rd stage and that they had DHS had requested something from SS office. We watched as the man dug my file out from below a bunch of others. The woman that was supposed to send the info off to DHS hadn't done it! She assured me that it would be done that day. So here we sit and wait again. I guess I don't need my SSN number for AOS but I can't get on his bank account with out it, nor can I get my DL transferred, it's been 60days now so I am not legal to drive anymore.

I wonder how long it will take now that she is going to send the info to DHL before I get my SSN.

[SF2007 48]

We got married on Saturday.

First of, congratulations on your wedding

I hope they speed up the process for you JeannieL!

Is the 60 days to transfer license a Canadian or State law?

Edited July 26, 2011 by SF2007

[JeannieL 44]

First of, congratulations on your wedding

I hope they speed up the process for you JeannieL!

Is the 60 days to transfer license a Canadian or State law?

Thanks so much!

The 60 days is Virginia state law. Doesn't seem fair when visitors can drive legally for much longer.

[missicy 87]

The 60 days is Virginia state law. Doesn't seem fair when visitors can drive legally for much longer.

According to DMV Virginia, your driver license will only be valid until your I-94 (proof of legal presence) expires anyway:

For individuals temporarily authorized to be in the U.S., a driver's license or ID card will be valid only for the amount of time that an individual is legally present in the U.S. The expiration date on the driver's license or ID card will be the same as the expiration date shown on the document used to prove legal presence.

You don't have your green card yet, so your only proof of legal presence is your I-94 and you are temporarily authorized for 90 days. So I don't know if it makes sense applying for it before you get your green card? (Virginian DMV doesn't accept EAD as proof of legal presence.)

Source: https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dmv141.pdf

[JeannieL 44]

According to DMV Virginia, your driver license will only be valid until your I-94 (proof of legal presence) expires anyway:

You don't have your green card yet, so your only proof of legal presence is your I-94 and you are temporarily authorized for 90 days. So I don't know if it makes sense applying for it before you get your green card? (Virginian DMV doesn't accept EAD as proof of legal presence.)

Source: https://www.dmv.virg.../pdf/dmv141.pdf

The DMV office that we went to here in VA only requires me to have a change of address registered at the local post office, and a SSN....They would also use a bank statement in my name or a utility bill in my name but I don't have that yet so the are going to take the change of address. They will use the Canadian passport and visa plus my Canadian driver license for proof of who I am. So just waiting on the SSN. No test required either, just a straight switch over.

[missicy 87]

Yes, the "visa" that they will use - I-94 actually - is proof of legal presence (visa became void when you entered on it). And if they follow their own rules, as stated on their website, they will issue a license that expires when proof of presence (I-94) expires.

[I'm Gone 60]

If you want to know what is going on with your SSN application, send an e-mail to SSA:

http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/ask

Be sure to say you have K-1 status and include your phone number. If you have the application reference number, send that too.